Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 It's now just a little over 4 months to the start of the 2023 African Cup of Nations
00:05 and we do have to ask some pertinent questions.
00:08 Top of that list is who will be the coach in the absence of Osepe Sero.
00:13 Well, we have some questions for you in this episode.
00:16 My name is Amidishotobo and this is The Nutmeg on Guardian TV.
00:24 So now of course, Johnson Ifeoluwa joins me once again and it's pretty sad that Osepe
00:32 Sero's conundrum has lingered on and now it seems that the mantle falls naturally on
00:39 Osepe Sero as Technical Director of the Nigerian Football Federation to handle the coaching
00:43 duties.
00:44 But, how does this make you feel?
00:47 Do you think we're making... how many steps backward?
00:50 I would like to know how many steps backward you reckon we're making.
00:54 You know, as a Nigerian, I'm talking basically as a Nigerian now, not even as a sport analyst,
01:00 as a Nigerian having to see a regular face time after time after time again, I'm getting
01:06 fed up with these decisions because I think it just has to start with the structure of
01:12 the NFF.
01:13 When it comes to my situation in Nigeria, it has been so poor but we hope that in the
01:19 future it will be better.
01:20 But the disappointment, if you get to take in Ousnegoua, going back, you're going three
01:26 steps backward because he was in that particular position earlier and I could say that Nigeria
01:33 were actually playing well.
01:34 I could see the gel in... now we were playing the 4-3-3 formation then, you saw how exclusive
01:39 Moses Saimone was and Samuel Chukwueze playing at the left wing, doing crosses, you know.
01:44 I saw a new pattern of play but they didn't allow it to last long just because of that
01:48 week crashing out of that World Cup qualifier and they let him go, brought in an unknown
01:53 Ousipesiero.
01:54 And as it stands, Ousipesiero, we do hear speculations that he's been owed up to four
02:00 months of salary, $70,000 per month is the wage that he receives from the NFF.
02:07 For him and his team actually.
02:08 And now of course we cannot go out there to look for a foreign coach, obviously we do
02:13 not have the financial capacity for that at this time.
02:16 But before we talk about who would be the likely replacement for Ousipesiero now, the
02:23 flashback that I have of the Super Eagles under Austin Oguavone, I remember us crashing
02:30 out of the World Cup and it was catastrophic.
02:33 How do you reckon that we field a team under possibly Austin Oguavone or perhaps any other
02:40 coach, we never know what NFF has in mind.
02:43 If Austin Oguavone gets to be the man at the helms of the team, he will probably go with
02:50 his regular faces.
02:51 You're clearly laying down a marker now as far as likely faces that we could.
02:57 But how about we go this way?
03:00 It's a dead or a dead game against Southampton next week.
03:04 You don't have to use your best players or anything.
03:07 These players within the local leagues, I'm talking about the Nigerian Premier Football
03:11 League for instance, they deserve a cup.
03:15 Why not give them the chance to showcase what they've got?
03:19 I think the last time we faced Southampton on principle we defeated them 10-0.
03:23 Let's see what the NFF guys can do, isn't it?
03:27 Some of them were looking to make their debut.
03:30 When Ousipesiero came to watch the NFF Super 6, the NFF Super 8, we saw him coming every
03:39 single time and he came every single time.
03:42 And then some people hoped to make their debut.
03:45 For some of those players, maybe they'll be looking at this particular fixture.
03:49 The likes of Devine Wanchuk who was called up from Bendel Insurance.
03:53 He hopes to make his debut there.
03:55 He plays as a midfielder in that particular ward.
03:57 There are a lot of players that deserve a chance when you look at it.
04:02 Which now leads me to this question now.
04:05 Obviously the approach that the appointment will take for a new coach is going to be critically
04:12 scrutinised over time.
04:14 And also who should occupy that vacant position is a big question mark as well.
04:19 But who do you reckon as the ideal coach with all the surrounding factors?
04:24 Who do you reckon, of course with the African Cup of Nations just under 140 days away, who
04:30 do you think should be preparing this team for that tournament?
04:35 I think it still has to boil down to the same people.
04:39 I mean local coaches.
04:41 I think a local coach would do well.
04:42 I'm talking about my suggestion.
04:46 This suggestion might be popular amongst us but the decision makers, we do not know.
04:52 My suggestion might be quite controversial.
04:55 Because I'm tipping Emmanuel Amunike.
04:58 It's not controversial.
05:01 But if you look at the level of experience he has.
05:05 But if you look at, he was sacked by his last Tanzanian club.
05:09 Yes, Vanako was sacked by them.
05:11 So some people might still put that into perspective.
05:14 But then, aside that, he has coached most of these players that are playing now.
05:20 When they were younger, 2015, the under-17s.
05:22 I'm also trying to think of some other names too.
05:25 There's George Finidi who would also garner some kind of support.
05:29 I think you're right.
05:30 There's also, I particularly fancy the homegrown names like the likes of Paul Ofo.
05:39 Wow.
05:40 I mean, why not try?
05:43 He's just one year into most Sporting Ligos.
05:45 I know this sounds like a wild card but why not try something new?
05:50 Something different.
05:52 Something progressive.
05:53 The problem with Nigerian football for me has always been that we are not particular
05:58 about progression.
05:59 We want to win instantly.
06:01 It's not going to happen.
06:02 That has been the problem over time.
06:04 So the question is, why not try something different with these young guys?
06:09 Put them into the role.
06:10 Build them.
06:11 Make them do a lot of...
06:13 Give them time.
06:14 Give them time.
06:15 I think I'll now have to...
06:16 I think I'll forbid your conclusion.
06:19 To be fair, I know Nigerians will want to hear this but I do not particularly think
06:22 we're going to win that tournament.
06:24 We need to build, we need to plan ahead.
06:26 It's not just going to be about...
06:29 Look at what the Moroccans did.
06:30 Look at what the Moroccans did with the coach.
06:31 The Moroccans, the Senegalese, you can mention these guys.
06:32 You know the Moroccans are the ones...
06:35 Right now, the women's football, under 17, under 20, they are doing a whole lot there
06:41 and this did not come in a day.
06:43 The young coach who took them to the semi-final, the young coach who took them to the semi-final,
06:47 he did not just get there one day and the team just got the result.
06:53 No.
06:54 It gives him time.
06:55 So I think I'll be buying into your poor offer suggestion.
06:57 Possibly, could he be the one to support us into greater heights?
06:59 I mean, look at what you're talking about.
07:01 Well, we did speak with the chairman of Sporting Ligos recently and we saw how he emerged in
07:07 the picture.
07:08 But it remains to be seen.
07:09 It's up to the decision makers.
07:11 We've made our suggestion and thank you for watching.
07:14 Well, this is how we have to bring this episode to a close.
07:17 You can follow us for more of this content and even more right here on Guardian Nigeria
07:23 and also you can subscribe here.
07:26 Absolutely subscribe to this channel and also hit the notification button to get all
07:32 our latest content.
07:33 My name is Abide Shetubo.
07:35 Thank you very much, Justin Fremgoa, for being here.
07:37 My pleasure.
07:38 And thank you for watching.
07:39 See you.
07:39 [MUSIC PLAYING]